Cerasus serrulata ‘Grandiflora’

Japanese name: サトザクラ 鬱金
Scientific name: Cerasus serrulata ‘Grandiflora’

[Overview]
A cultivar of Sato-zakura.
A deciduous tree.
The young leaves are at first brown tinged with reddish purple.
The leaves are simple and alternate, elliptic to oblong-lanceolate.
The teeth are a mixture of single and double serrations, and the tips of the teeth extend into fine threads.
The petiole is 2–3.5 cm long and tinged with reddish purple.
It flowers at the same time as the leaves unfold.
The flowers are borne three to a corymb arising from the leaf axils.
The flowers are about 4 cm across and pale yellowish green, with 7–18 petals that have a distinctive unevenness.
The outer petals are often tinged with reddish purple at the tip or on the outer surface.
The inner petals are pale, narrow, often folded, and stand upright.
The stamens sometimes become small petal-like structures.
The calyx lobes are brown and entire.
The flower stalk is 1.5–2.5 cm long, and the small flower stalks are 2.5–3.5 cm long.

[History]
A cultivar that was grown on the Arakawa embankment in Tokyo.

[Cultivation]
Propagate by cuttings or grafting.
It prefers a sunny, well-drained place.
If a garden tree becomes troublesome by growing large, limit the space for the roots to spread with a fabric pot to control the size of the tree.
While it is a young tree, protect it from frost by, for example, spreading straw around the base.
Also, it is better not to cut the branches needlessly when it is not necessary.
Pests and diseases are numerous, so care is needed.

[Notes]
The Japanese name comes from the flower color resembling the color of ukon (turmeric) dyeing.

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